Improvement in bee-hive



@air-nt (attire.-

EDMUND B. REDFIELD, OF WHITES CORNERS, AND E. C. HUBBARD,

,v OF WATER VALLEY, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No.. 91,266, dated .Tune 15, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-RIVE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and mal-:ing part ofthe name.

To all whom fit 'may4 concern.-

Be it known that we, EDMUND B.'REDFIELD, of Whites Corners, county'ofErie, and State of New York, and E. G HUBBARD, of' Water Valley, andErie county aforesaid, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bee-Hives; and we do hereby declare that the followingr is a full andexact description thereof', reference .being4 had to .the accompanyingdrawings,l|nakinga part of this specification, in which- Figure Irepresents a cross-sectional elevation of our improved' hive.

Figure 1I, a plan of the saine, with the top of case removed.

Figure III, across-section of one of the honey-boxes and lining, showingthe inethod'of opening the same.

Figure IV, a detached-view of an upper corner of v one of thecomb-trames forming the main body of the hive, showing the passage forthe bees.

Figure V, the straw mat or screen, for protecting the bee-entrance incold weather.

Figure VI, a` representation of one of the wooden frames forming thelining of the honey-cases.

Like letters refer to'like parts in each of the gures The nature of ourinvention consists- First, inpermanently attaching to the bottom boardof the hive a vertical board, in connection with two partial side boardso1' corner-pieces, which together form a stall, or frame, in which thecomb-frames forming the' inner hive can be conveniently arranged andsecured,the said vertical boa-rd also forming the front side of thelower portion of the outer case. of the hive.

Second, in combining therewith an outer case, constructed and arrangedso that the said vertical board shall form the ii'ont thereof;

Third, in constructing the comb-frames with the central beads, at thesides and top, employed as a guide for the bees in attaching the comb,cut away at the upper corners of the frames, so as to forma passage forthe bees from one comb to the'other, it having been found, from actualexperience, that the bries, in attach.- ing the comb, will bridge acrossthe corners where the beads have been eut away, therebyleavingafreecommunication from one to the other.

Fourth, in providing the lsurplus-honey boxes, constructed so as to hereadily taken apart, with an inner lining, or case of paper, wood,shavings, or equivalent material, which', when the box is filled, isfound to be stiened and glued `together, so as to enable it, with theAhoney, to be readily removed without destroying the box, which can thusbe used for an indefinite period by simply supplying it with anew'lining from time to time, as the old one becomes lied, and isremoved with the honey.

Fifth, in the use and application of a strawor other equivalent mat,before the front side 'of the hive and bee-entrance,'so as to form aprotection against the l cold in winter, while it permits the gradualpassage of the requisite supply of air to the bees, without that violentdirect draught which is so injurious in cold weather, and which alwaysoccurs where no such protection is provided.

In the drawings- A. represents the bottom of the hive, inclined from theback toward lthe front. l

B is the front board of thev hive, attached perinae nently to the'bottom, and also to the two ends, or corner-pieces b, which not only,serve to give stability to the front, but also to support the se'otionswhich form the main body-of the hive.

rllhe main body of the hive is formed of comb-frames, or sections, theends of the top pieces g' resting on a rebate in the top of the board B,as shown at f and the rear resting upon the bottom, as shown at f2, theframes being. thus held in such position that'the bottom piece g doesnot quite touch the bottom A, leaving a space below for the passage of'the bees.

flhe bottom piece gis made somewhat narrower than the front piece f orrear piece f3, so that when the iarnes are placed in position, slots, oropenings, are left between the frames, and entirely across the bottomthereof, for the free passage of the bees to and from the space below.

The upper piece g' of each of these sections has portions of it cntaway, as shown in the drawings at @,in such manner that when theframes-are placed together,

-two openings, e', will be left, for the passage of the bees upward tothe honey-boxes.

d Two boards, H, are placed against the outer sections at either side,forming the ends of the body of the hive. l

'lhe boards H are Iirmly held against the sections, securing themtogether, by two blocks, or wedges, t, fitting between them and the endsor corner-pieces b. The sections are also held rmly against the front Bby another wedge, i', fitting between their rear ends and a block, b2,permanently attached t0 the bottom A.

By using this mode of securing the sections in place, it will be seenthat one or more of them may be readily removed or put in place again,as the size of the swarm may render it desirable to diminish or increasethe capacity of the hive.

The two pieces, f and f3, and the top, g', of each frame, have upontheir insides narrow, centrally-projecting beads, or strips j, whichserve as guides for the bees in forming the cards of comb.

rlhese strips, or beads, have been us'ed before, but extending clear tothe corners of the frames.

By cutting on these beads at the ends, leaving a space between at thecorners, as shown at j the bees, in forming the comb, .will connect thetwo adjacent ends of the beads, as indicated in dotted lines, leavingthe rcorners j unoccupied, which thus become a free passage\vay trom onecomb to the other along the two upper corners ofthe hivc.

Ventilating-holes, covered with wire gauze, may be made in theend-boards H, opposite these passages.

It will be seen, by reference to the drawings, that although the bottomA ot' the hive, and g ot' the sections, incline toward the front, thesides fand f"I are perpendicular, and the upper piece g horizontal.

Our reason for making the fratrie ot' such form is this: We tind thatwhere the top is inclined, the bees are apt to form the cards of combirregularly, and run diagonally from one section to another, instead ot'following the strips or beads placed for their guidance.

The outer case of the hive is in two parts, the lower part C enclosingthe main body ot' the hive, and resting upon the bottom A at the back,as shown at a.

The sides are extended forward of the front B, and have a cross-piece,c', extendingr across the front, connecting them together, and t'orminga sort of root' over the hee-entr-ance m, which is formed along thebottom of board B, and is regulated by the blocks m', or other suitablemeans.

This lower' case is lett open at the front, the board B making itunnecessary to further enclose this side.

The case is designed to litover the edges ot' the bottom board, beingsupported at the rear by a rebate, n, and in front by the ends ot' theguide-cleats u, which rest upon the bottom board, as shown in Fig. l,thereby most effec-tuali y protecting the bottom of the hive from ram.

The upper part of the case D may be readily removed for getting at thehoney-boxes, without disturbing the lower part.

The surplus -honey boxes, a cross-section of one of' which is shown inFig. llI, are represented as two in number, and covering the whole topofthe main body of the hive.

The ends of these boxes are made of glass, and the bottom k and one ofthe sides k are fastened permanently together.

The top k and the other side It:a are also attached together, thecorners l heilig simply held together by dowels, as shown in Fig. lI1,iusuch manner that the box may be readily separated at opposite corners,as shown in Fig. lII.

The bottom ot' each of these boxes'has slots throrrgh it, correspondingto those between the. top of the combframes, so as to attord a directpassage for the bees fror'n between every card ot' comb in the hive tothe honey-boxes above.

Q representsour improved lining, which may be made of paper, Strawboard, veneering, wood-shavings, or any other equivalent material; or itmay be made of thin pieces ot' wood in sections, similar to the sectionsforming the hive. One ot' these sections is shown in perspective in Fig.VI.

This lining has slots formed in its bottom, corresponding to those inthe bottom ot the box and top of the hive. lt may be arranged loosely inthe box, as the bees, in attaching the comb, will firmly glue the partstogether, and stili'en them, so that it will form a box in itselt',which can be removed with the honey, while the outer case or box may berelined and lett to be refilled.

By means of our improved lining, and a box capable ot' being readilyseparated, a great expense, both to the apiarist and to the consumer',is saved in the cost ot' boxes, which the one has to manufacture and thecold, and also from the rain and snow, which would otherwise beatagainst the board B, and render it daurp. It is, however, ot' thegreatest value in pr'otecting the bee-entrance from thosechillingdraughts, or currents of air, at times so fatal to the beeswithin, while the mat is suliiciently porous to permit the passage ot'the requisite supply of air. It serves as a coat to retain within thehive the heat generated b v the bees.

Our improved construction affords the fi'ecst communla'rtion, by themost direct routes, to all portions ot' the hive and honey-boxes, itbeing a matter ot considerable importancel to reduce, as nruch aspossible, the distance the bees have tu travcl after they enter thehive.

Having tlnrs described our' invention,

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The front board B and side board or braces b, permanently attached tothe bottom board of tlrehive, and forming a frame, iu which thecomb-frames are arranged and secured by wedges, or equivalent,substantially asset forth.

2. The outer case C, with open front, combined and arranged with theboard B, as set forth.

3. The corner-spaces j', formed by cutting cti' the beads j, so as tohave a passage from one comb to the other, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. The inner lining Q, in combination with the honey-boxes 0, made so asto be readily taken apart, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The mat R, applied in the manner and .for the purpose speciiied.

EDMUN D B. REDFIELD. E. C. HUBBARD.

Witnesses:

Vtcron H. BECKER, JN0. J. Bossen.

other to buy, which greatly enhances the price of this" This matprotects the front ot' the hive from the

